An Illawarra man accused of subjecting his girlfriend to a brutal sexual and physical assault while holding her hostage in his bedroom at knife-point has been refused bail in Wollongong Local Court.
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The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is alleged to have pressed a machete to the woman’s throat, tried to choke her with a dog chain and threatened to kill her during the September 28 ordeal.
He is also accused of sexually assaulting the woman.
His housemates eventually intervened and pulled him away from the girl, who managed to flee from the house.
The man was arrested early the next morning and charged with a string of offences including aggravated sexual assault intending to inflict bodily harm and kidnapping.
Police documents presented to the man’s bail hearing on Wednesday said he and the woman’s six-month relationship had been volatile, with several unreported incidents of domestic violence.
The court heard the pair had been arguing about the state of their relationship and allegations of cheating when the woman said she was going to leave the house, allegedly prompting the man to respond “you’re not f—king going anywhere” and pushed her onto the bed.
It is alleged he picked up a nearby machete and waved it towards the woman, who was videoing the incident on her mobile phone, before sitting on her chest, effectively pinning her down on the bed, and slapping her a number of times.
The man then took hold of a dog chain and allegedly said “I'm either going to choke you to death or stab you....which one, the knife or this” indicating the chain.
The woman claims her boyfriend pressed the chain against her neck to restrict her breathing, twice sexually assaulted her, then finally threatened to kill her with a nearby knife before the housemates came to her aid.
The man allegedly yelled “bitch, you’re not going anywhere” as the woman fled.
In court on Wednesday, defence lawyer Kate Doosey said her client intended to fight the allegations. She told the court he had a limited criminal record and would agree to strict conditions if released on bail.
However, Magistrate Michael Stoddart refused the application based on the seriousness of the allegations, the seemingly strong prosecution case and the fact the man was on bail for unrelated offences at the time.
The matter will return to court in November.
